Saturday, June 29, 2013

"Eye to Eye" versus Richard Dawkins

by Salman Hameed

Dawkins recently gave a psychedelic presentation of memes, and in particular focusing on internet memes. I'm sure one of the goals was to make the presentation itself into a viral video. Here it is - and watch it transform around the 5 minute mark:

Well, when it comes to internet memes, I think Taher Shah from Pakistan has a lesson or two about that. Here is his mesmerizing video "Eye to Eye" which has gone viral. It is all in English and as far as I can tell, he did not intend to be a satire. He really does like eyes - yours, his, others' - and would like to make love with his full spectrum eyes.

No seriously - you have to spend 5 minutes and watch this video (with your own eyes!):

And while we are at it, we can't go without watching the video of One-Pound Fish - another Pakistan connection - that became a sensation a few months ago (here is the NPR story about this song and link to where it all started):

What is Irtiqa?

Irtiqa is a Science and Religion blog. It tracks and comments on news relevant to the interplay of science & religion - with a focus on scientific debates taking place in the Muslim world. Irtiqa literally means evolution in Urdu. But it does not imply only biological evolution. Instead, it is an all encompassing word used for evolution of the universe, biological evolution, and also for biological/human development. While it has created confusion in debates over biological evolution in South Asia, it provides a nice integrative name for a blog that addresses issues of science & religion. For further information, contact Salman Hameed.

The blog banner is designed by Muhammad Aurangzeb Ahmad. You can find all his creative endeavors at Orangie.

On Muslims and Evolution

Salman Hameed

Salman is an astronomer and Associate Professor of Integrated Science & Humanities at Hampshire College, Massachusetts. Currently, he is working on understanding the rise of creationism in contemporary Islamic world and how Muslims view the relationship between science & religion. He is also working with historian Tracy Leavelle at Creighton University to analyze reconciliation efforts between astronomers and Native Hawaiians over telescopes on top of sacred Mauna Kea in Hawaii. He teaches “History and Philosophy of Science & Religion” with philosopher Laura Sizer, and “Science in the Islamic World”, both at Hampshire College. Salman and Laura Sizer are also responsible for the ongoing Hampshire College Lecture Series on Science & Religion, and you can find videos of all these lectures below. Contact information here.